ROWDY YOUTHS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7870, 4 August 1911, Page 1

ROWDY YOUTHS

DISTURBANCE AT THE HUH INTERFERE WITH MEDICAL’ EX' AMXNATIONS. AND DAMAGE DRILLSHED WINDOWS. At the medical examination of recruit* for the Territorials at Lower Hutt last night there was a recrudescence of the rowdiness and hooliganism which occurred at the beginning of the week. Early in the evening a crowd of larrikins, headed by a tin-can band, marched from Petone along the main Hutt- road to the Lower Hut-t, gathering strength as they went, so that by the time they reached the drillshed the undisciplined and disorderly mob numbered some live hundred or six hundred youths. ’■

The spirits of those forming the Uttlp '‘army" were kept up on the march by the-"stirring" airs of the tin-can band, interspersed with yells and shouts from those in the ranks. All the way from Petone the lads were accompanied by two constables, whoso presence cowed the /'gallant ones” sufficiently to prevent any roughness or horseplay/ At the dxiilshed a squad of Permanent Artillerymen were iu attendance, but the doors were shut. When the youths perceived that they were prevented from entering the hall they decided on taJdAg the place by istorm. An attack was* made en masse, but the police, who had been reinforced by two more constables, managed to keep the crowd im check and a batch of youths who attended for the purposes of examination were allowed to enter. The drillshcd was. then besieged and, a * heavy bombardment of stones was opened, the result being-that nearly every window and skylight in the place was smashed. The constables wero also subjected to a desultory fire of eggs. None of the culprits, however, could be caught. Only a comparatively small number of lads went through tho examination, tho majority refusing to enter the building at all. It appears that a mistake was made in barring the door, it being originally intended to admit those who were in possession of examination cards. The disturbance was principally caused by youths who did not have to undergo examination, and the rancour of tho crowd seemed to be directed against. SergeantMajor Millet, who* was in charge of the drillshcd.

The examinations were to have concluded last evening, but those who did not attend will have to be summoned again.